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SHADOW Base
SHADOW Base was long standing ONI research base located on the UNSC Colony of Reach on the continent of Eposz, several kilometers east of the Babd Catha Ice Shelf and directly north of the Viery Territory. SHADOW Base is a sub-division of ONI Section III and was the head of its Weapons and Technology // Research and Development projects. It's most successful projects and work include the design of the devastating NOVA Bomb under Vice Admiral Danforth Whitcomb, the design of the HAVOK Tactical Nuke, the manufacture of prototype Linear Accelerator's for ONI CASTLE Base, the development and manufacture of prototype SPARTAN Assault Platforms and reverse engineering efforts carried out on Pandora's Box, a retrieved Forerunner artifact that was later both the target for Operation: ARK ANGEL and the eventual technological breakthrough's, advancements and reverse engineering efforts responsible for creating the UNSC Infinity's experimental Forerunner artillery. Weapons & Technology // Research & Development SHADOW Base carried out extensive work in ONI Section III's efforts to produce, improve and research upon a large variety of pre-existing and new technologies including but not limited to weaponry, equipment and prototype military hardware. Their most notable work consisted of: * The NOVA Bomb. A high-yield combination of 9 nuclear fusions warheads, built under Vice Admiral Danforth Whitcomb. * The creation and development of the S.A.P Program, prototype 50. caliber weapons systems designed for SPARTAN supersoldiers. * The HAVOK Tactical Nuke, a multi-purpose 30 megaton nuclear warhead developed in the mid 2520's. * The data and tech acquired through vast reverse engineering operations performed on Pandora's Box which was responsible for the UNSC Infinity's experimental Forerunner-based energy projectors. Other pieces of equipment, hardware and work worth mentioning are CASTLE Base's Linear Accelerator's, an armour add-on which boosts MJOLNIR's shield strength by 200% which were manufactured at SHADOW Base's Engineering Department and the design of the Drop Shield Armour Ability based off reverse engineering efforts on the Covenant Bubble Shield. SHADOW Base carried out extensive work in the goal of weaponry and technological advancement. They cooperated with a large variety of corporations, institutions, manufacturers, individuals and other ONI branches, facilities and sub-divisions, such as CASTLE Base, Vice Admiral Danforth Whitcomb and Misriah Armory. Personnel and Vehicles SHADOW Base, being at the forefront of Section III's Weapons and Technology // Research and Development projects, had a constant compliment of 4 veteran UNSC Army Ranger Trooper Squads, under the command of Captain Hammond, at any given time. Along with stationed UNSCDF forces, SHADOW Base was also the base of operations for ONI Recon Team 5, codename LOKI, an ONI Section I military unit under the command of SSgt. Jacobs, who carried out retrieval missions and localised field testing for SHADOW Base. Being a research and development base, the majority of its personnel were technicians, engineers and scientists. Commander Pickett oversees all projects and production processes inside SHADOW Control and liases with UNSCDF Army Captain Hammond to best utilise the base's strong, albeit limited military and security strength. Pickett does not have explicit command over Captain Hammond or the Army Troopers stationed there, but he can take over operational tactical command due to his rank or if the situational parameters dictate. SSgt. Jacobs and the rest of LOKI report directly to him. Pickett is most commonly heard speaking over the base tannoy systems and over radio broadcasts as Baseplate or Control. SHADOW Base was home to several Falcon and Pelican gunships, along with 4 M12 Warthog's mounted with M41 LAAG's and 2 M12G1 Warthog's mounted with M68 ALIM Gauss Cannon's supplementing both LOKI and Captain Hammond's military forces. Structure and Locations SHADOW Base was a deceptively large compound with 85% of its total structure buried hundreds of feet underground. This is due to the sensitive nature of the base, with top secret projects and prototypes being developed there there was need of increased security from all types of surveillance or outside observation. The small size of the external structure means that SHADOW Base leaves only a small footprint in a back corner of Eposz, making it relatively unnoticed and virtually undetectable. * The Main Entrance, which was a small 'out-house' inside the base perimeter on the surface that serves as the base's main entrance, lobby, security checkpoint, main elevator shaft, board & meeting rooms and showcase rooms. * The Relay Compound was a set of radio relays that transmit and bridge communications to and from SHADOW Base. This compound is located roughly a kilometer away from the main entrance and is a fully automated, unmanned facility. * The Vehicle Bay and Hangar were located parallel to the main entrance and, in a similar construction style to the main compound underground, were excavated from the side of a cliff. Large bulkheads, positioned on the ground and on top of the cliff open to reveal both the Vehicle Bay and the Hangar deep inside. * The Main Complex was an underground complex situated deep underground which housed the majority of SHADOW Base. ** The Firearms Department houses SHADOW's armoury and Weapons Tech facility. Amongst other things, prototype proof-of-concept S.A.P's were built and tested here before Section III contracted 12 units to be built by Misriah Armory for field testing. ** The Engineering Department was a large multi-level complex that performed the bulk of SHADOW's research and engineering work. This department housed many cells that worked on a variety of confidential and specialised projects such as MJOLNIR MK V's Linear Accelerator module, the NOVA Bomb and the Drop Shield Armour Ability to name a few. It was the home to a massive reverse engineering and experimenting facility which housed Pandora's Box, which was stolen from its containment enclosure by the Field Marshal during the Battle of SHADOW Base. ** The Barrack's was a facility that was home to SHADOW Base's military forces. The Barrack's also housed the Briefing and De-briefing rooms. The Firearms department is located close by. ** SHADOW Control, often shortened to Control, was the central hub of the base. All systems, work, projects, programs, internal and external communications, distribution and objectives of SHADOW's military forces were supervised over by SHADOW Control. Commander Pickett can most often be located here. The Battle of SHADOW Base During the Fall of Reach on August 24th 2552, SHADOW Base and the outlying forests around the base was the site of the Battle of SHADOW Base. The battle centred around SHADOW Base's Relay Compound, SHADOW's Main Entrance, the Engineering Department and the outlining forests surrounding the base. The true target of the attack was the Forerunner artifact, Pandora's Box. At 00:27 hours SHADOW Base's CCTV systems inside their automated Relay Compound went offline. Several minutes later, SHADOW Base's communications array was disrupted by a Covenant Comms Jammer deployed inside the facility's automated Relay Compound by a group of 3 Spec Ops Elites. SHADOW Base rebooted all of their communication systems and ran through several system diagnostic procedures while Commander Pickett tasked ONI Recon Team 5 "LOKI" to investigate the Relay Compound, which was located on a cliff above the main base. LOKI splits up into two teams; LOKI 2 and 4 enter the compound through the North Gate while SSgt. Jacobs, LOKI 3 and 5 enter through the Main Gate as LOKI 6 provides sniper cover. Once inside, LOKI 2 and 4 discover the Jammer and are engaged by the 3 Spec Ops Elites. The rest of LOKI, hearing gunfire, rush inside and join the fray while Pelican Delta supports from above. With their radios being jammed, LOKI are unable to contact SHADOW Base and inform them of the Covenants presence and impending attack. Surprise Banshee fire disables Pelican Delta, who crashes and slides down the cliff face into the ocean. LOKI 6, observing the battle attempts to contact SHADOW Control with no success, shoots and kills one of the Elites. LOKI 6 disengages from the battle to get to an intercom station near a storage outpost, where he informs SHADOW Control of the Covenant's presence and the source of the comms blackout. The Banshee, who zeroed in on his position as he shot the Elite, kills LOKI 6 with a fuel rod shot, detonating several gas canisters and fuel jerry cans, incinerating them both. SHADOW Base begins mobilising its military forces. Captain Hammond organises his troops throughout the base, locking down bulkheads and securing base checkpoints inside. Through overloading their radio transmitters within the Relay Compound, Commander Pickett establishes momentary contact with the closest UNSC forces; ODST Team Foxtrot who are in transit near the Babd Catha Ice Shelf. Before losing contact, Pickett gives Foxtrot's commander GSgt. Briggs a message to relay to ONI HQ: The Covenant are here. Unknown numbers. Send reinforcements. Team Foxtrot relay this message and travel to SHADOW Base, where they along with a squad of Army Rangers, defend SHADOW Base's main entrance from an onslaught of 3 Zealots, 5 Spec Ops Elites and the Field Marshal. SHADOW Base observes the arrival of the Field Marshal's attacking forces via CCTV. With all communications still disabled and their transmitters badly damaged, they have no way of informing ONI HQ of the gravity of the situation. The Ranger-ODST force fought hard, managing to kill all 5 Spec Ops Elites before the Field Marshal's superior forces destroy them. LOKI, now free of the Banshee's suppressive fire, move in against the two remaining Spec Ops Elites. Using a combination of fire-and-manoeuvre tactics, specialised E.M.P grenades and overwhelming firepower, they took down both remaining Spec Ops Elites and destroyed the Jammer. LOKI radio through to Commander Pickett, informing him of the battle's outcome and the destruction of the Jammer. Pickett re-tasks LOKI, ordering them to get back to the base via an alternative entrance. With communications now available, despite a badly damaged transmitter relay, SHADOW Base contacts ONI HQ and updates them on the situation. ONI HQ informs them that several ODST Fire Teams are being prepped for transport but Pickett instead demands SPARTAN intervention, given the severity of who is attacking the base. ONI Section III agrees and liases with UNSC SPECWARCOM and the Army to deploy a SPARTAN Team to deal with the situation. NOBLE Team are currently executing a recon operation in Szurdok Ridge in preparation for the next days attack and are unable to be redeployed. GAUNTLET Team are currently escorting a member of UNSC HIGHCOM to FLEETCOM HQ in New Alexandria. ECHO Team have just finished assisting an evacuation of civilians in an outlying Kiva in Ütközet in preparation for the Battle of Viery the next day. They are currently en-route back their base of operations. SPECWARCOM redeploys them to defend SHADOW Base, but mid transmission they break off having been engaged by several Banshee's. After several minutes, Brock A223 radios through explaining what just happened: Several Banshee's ambushed their Pelican, shooting it down and killing 2 members of ECHO and badly injuring 2 others, leaving Kai A019 and Brock A223 as the only remaining combat effective elements of ECHO Team. Pelicans are sent to retrieve the fallen and wounded SPARTAN's and a Falcon is sent to bring the remnants of ECHO Team to SHADOW Base. A third SPARTAN-III Commando, Bain B057, has recently completed the selection process for conventional SPARTAN battlefield deployment and is awaiting squad placement. Bain B057 is sent from the ARMY's HQ, FORT Talyn, to SHADOW Base in order to reinforce the remnants of ECHO Team. When the 3 SPARTAN's arrive at SHADOW Base, Category:Office of Naval Intelligence Category:Bases